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Scientists have reprogrammed umbilical cord-blood cells to perform the functions of embryonic stem cells. The development could allow for the storage of stem cells from cord blood as another option to the use of embryonic stem cells in clinical research, the researchers said. The production and banking of cord blood cells could be more cost-effective and time-saving than producing embryonic stem cells for various applications, a researcher said.

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About 25% of more than 200 stem cell researchers surveyed reported problems acquiring embryonic cell, or ESC, lines due to a variety of access issues. More than 1,000 lines exist, but 75% of respondents reported using three or fewer lines in their research. "These results illustrate that many human embryonic stem cell scientists in the United States are not conducting comparative studies with a diverse set of human embryonic stem cell lines, which raises concern that at least some results are cell-line specific rather than broadly applicable," said lead author Aaron Levine.

Human embryonic stem cells injected directly into the hippocampus of irradiated rats improved the animals' memory four months after the treatment, a study said. The rats were euthanized after the study, and the researchers found that the stem cells grew into neurons and astrocytes -- a type of brain cell. The findings suggest that embryonic stem cells could help recover short-term memory loss and improve long-term memory among cancer patients who underwent radiation therapy, the researchers said.

Human embryonic stem cells injected directly into the hippocampus of irradiated rats improved the animals' memory four months after the treatment, a study said. The rats were euthanized after the study, and the researchers found that the stem cells grew into neurons and astrocytes -- a type of brain cell. The findings suggest that embryonic stem cells could help recover short-term memory loss and improve long-term memory among cancer patients who underwent radiation therapy, the researchers said.

Scientists have reprogrammed umbilical cord-blood cells to perform the functions of embryonic stem cells. The development could allow for the storage of stem cells from cord blood as another option to the use of embryonic stem cells in clinical research, the researchers said. Using the reprogrammed cells could be more cost-effective and time-saving than producing embryonic stem cells for various applications, a researcher said.

Scientists have reprogrammed umbilical cord-blood cells to perform the functions of embryonic stem cells. The development could allow for the storage of stem cells from cord blood as another option to the use of embryonic stem cells in clinical research, the researchers said. The production and banking of cord blood cells could be more cost-effective and time-saving than producing embryonic stem cells for various applications, a researcher said.